The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-04-14
AN UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR,
An American Naval Onioer Charged VIII
cnrelessnsss. We "A t4s

An American Naval 0nleer Charged with
Carelessness. M Nt#
A Washington dispatch Gays: "The
Navy Department has received detailed
account OF the serious accident at Wyke.
shima, near Eagasaki, Japan, which re.
Quilted In the death Of four natives, and
for which Captain selftldge and other
United stalcs Naval olllcera arc held to be
10 aome extent responsible, and In conse.
Quencs Of which seltridge has been or.
dcrud TO report In Washington.
The report received Is taken from a
Japanese Newspaper, and alleges that In
violation OF law the officers Of the Omsha
permitted shell practice within fifty yards
OF the shore. Thirty Bholls were fired and
tho oiIicsrs In chaSXe reported 10 Captain
sOllrdge that oil had exploded. Five IN.
exploded shells were nevertheless found
or dug up by the natives, and ono oil these
was carried into the town whore II was &C.
cidcntslly exploded, killing four and
wounding seven men. .yIso. y
Captain Selfridge, who Was In command
Of the Omaha, was immediately ordered
home. and IL now quaranlined at San
Francisco"
A tull account Of the occurrence above
mentioned appears In the Rising San and
NGguSaki Express. under date Of March Oh,
as follows: "a most lamentable calastro.
phe occurred on the island OF Ikeshima,
about twenty-five mileg distant from here,
on tho evening OF the 4th inst, resulting
In the death Of four Japanese and tho
wourding In various degrees oil seven 9th.
ers. The circumstances OF the caso, 80 far
40 we have been able to gather, are that
tho United States steamer Omaha, Capt.
SelIridge, whilst on the voyage down from
Kobe, atopped OF Ikeahima for gun prac.
tice, and rs fshing.hoats were Ucattored
about In every direction out to sea 1t was
decided 10 put up floating target about
fifty yards from the beach, below bluff
about 400 feet high, Of which como thirty
shots were fred, az q distance OF about
1000 yards, between the hours OF 10 and
|llA. N. At tho conclusion OF tho firing
the officer OF the ship In charge OF tho
target reported that the whole OF the
shells fred had exploded, and the chip
proceeded on her voyage, arriving here
about | r. 81. Unfortunately, however,
shortly after the Omaha left, an unex.
ploded shell was found, and whilst group
OF resident natives were examining 1t, II
saddenly, through some unexplained
cause, exploded, with the fatal result
stated above. The affair waa Ut once re.
ported to the koncho, and the services Of
the MiIsu Bishi Go. 3 Q. 9. Meishin having
been placed at tho disposal OF the authori.
ties, the following day, DR.. ioshida, su.
perintendent Of the Nsgasaki Hospital
and a police officer, accompanied by Q
stall OF men, proceeded to Ikeshima to
investigate and report officially upon the
matter Dr.. Yoshida and party arrived
on the scene about twenty-Beven hours
after the occurrence OF the accident
The wounded were first carefully
examined and attended to, alter which
q post moltem examination Of the dead
bodies were held TO diecover the probable
cause OF death. The dead were composed
entirely Of the male sex, OF s. IL, 10 gnd29
yeGrs OF age, respectively. The wounded
comprised one man, ono woman aud two
boys, seriously; and one woman and two
girls slightly. Even those most seriously
wounded are reported to be confidently
expected to recover under medical treat.
ment. All the wounds are on the front
parts OF the bodies, and were evidently
inflicted whilst the unfortunate people
zero standing togather in GoMewbas close
proximity to the shell ut the time 1t ex.
ploded,-the killed and severely wounded
probably being in the front rank OF the
spectators, End those slightly, wounded
close behind them. Up to a late
hour yesterday, the police report
had not been received. A Court OF
ENQUIRY into the matter will no
DOUBT be held by Admiral Chandler, and
a thorough Investigation made. A pri-
yate subscription for the wounded and the
relatives Of the dead was made on board
the Omaha, realizing about $3.50, in addi-
ton TO which the United States Govern
ment will no doubf pay any reasonable
indemnity to Tho unfortunate sufferers,
that may be demanded. ID placing tar
get close to the IkeHhimu beach, and firing
1t 1t, no matter what precautions were
taken to prevent accidents, the Omaha
undoubtedly acted wrongly, IS the zap
aneae Government has dletinctly prohib.
tied gun or torpedo practice within three
miles Of the ehore. That ead iilisior-
! tune slopld have attended tho non.ob-
seryancc OF the regulation is a matter for
sincere regret, which probably no one de-
p!ores more deeply than Capt. Sellridge
and his officers. q
Since Writing tho above, VIC learn that
the police officer deputed to investigate
the affair returned yesterday afternoon,
bringing with MIN lour Of the wounded,
who were at oncs sent to the hospital
| The result OF the police enquiry has not
boon mHde public up to the tune Of going
10 press, but we learn privately that four
other unexpected shells were found buried
in the beach. We also learn that the shell
which exploded with such fatal result was
also found buried in the beach, and was
carried round to the village, in the vicn.
ity Of tho school houae, which building
waB destroyed by the force OF tho cxplo-
sion. The kamadokoro, or cooking place,
in house on the island is a!so reported
10 have been struck by q piece Of a shell
weighing several pounds; but whether ii
was splint from one OF those which ex-
ploded upon being fred irvm ship, or